Number and combined net worth of billionaires by year. The dot-com bubble created the most paper wealth for some billionaires. However, once the dotcom bubble burst the new rich saw their fortunes disappear. Billionaires’ fortunes were hit even harder by the global financial crisis; 2009 was the first time in five years that the world had a net loss in the number of billionaires. The strong performance of the financial markets and global economic recovery have erased financial assets losses. Most of the richest people in the world saw their fortunes soar in the early 2010s.
| Year | Number of billionaires | Group’s combined net worth |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2,640 | $12.2 trillion |
| 2022 | 2,668 | $12.7 trillion |
| 2021 | 2,755 | $13.1 trillion |
| 2020 | 2,095 | $8.0 trillion |
| 2019 | 2,153 | $8.7 trillion |
| 2018 | 2,208 | $9.1 trillion |
| 2017 | 2,043 | $7.7 trillion |
| 2016 | 1,810 | $6.5 trillion |
| 2015 | 1,826 | $7.1 trillion |
| 2014 | 1,645 | $6.4 trillion |
| 2013 | 1,426 | $5.4 trillion |
| 2012 | 1,226 | $4.6 trillion |
| 2011 | 1,210 | $4.5 trillion |
| 2010 | 1,011 | $3.6 trillion |
| 2009 | 793 | $2.4 trillion |
| 2008 | 1,125 | $4.4 trillion |
| 2007 | 946 | $3.5 trillion |
| 2006 | 793 | $2.6 trillion |
| 2005 | 691 | $2.2 trillion |
| 2004 | 587 | $1.9 trillion |
| 2003 | 476 | $1.4 trillion |
| 2002 | 497 | $1.5 trillion |
| 2001 | 538 | $1.8 trillion |
| 2000 | 470 | $898 billion |
| Sources: Forbes. | ||
